Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Chuwi Meet in San Juan to Talk Gentrification

Mayor Zohran Mamdani sat down with the Puerto Rican band Chuwi in San Juan on Friday for a conversation about displacement, gentrification and the future of Puerto Rico. The meeting took place during the mayor's 72-hour visit for the annual Somos Conference, now in its 40th year, where New York State lawmakers meet with Latino advocates over four days on the island.

Chuwi consists of siblings Lorén, Willy and Wester and their best friend Adrián. The band rose to international fame through a collaboration with Bad Bunny on "WELTiTA," a track from his Grammy-winning album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, and then served as the opening act on his 59-date world tour. Last month the group released its debut album, Libertad, which tackles government corruption and the economic and social effects of colonialist policies.

Mamdani told Rolling Stone before the conversation: "I look forward to listening to Puerto Ricans to hear about what the struggles are that they're facing and how New York City can be a partner in fighting for working people wherever they may call home." His central focus, ten months into his first term, is bridging the gap between the archipelago and the nearly 600,000 Puerto Ricans who call New York City home.

What does the mayor say about displacement?

"What I've heard from Puerto Rican New Yorkers is a concern about displacement and gentrification, not only in the neighborhoods that they've helped to build in New York City, but also right here in Puerto Rico," Mamdani said.

During the visit he met with coalitions and activist groups including Defend Cabo Rojo, FURIA, La Tejedora and PR No Se Vende ("Puerto Rico Is Not for Sale"), all dedicated to combating those challenges. The sit-down with Chuwi came first, given the band's mission to spread word of Puerto Rico's struggles through music.

Lorén opened the exchange by describing her stay in New York City the week before the 2025 election. She told Mamdani she was impressed by the enthusiasm for his campaign and found it inspiring as a Puerto Rican. "What you guys are doing is inspiring," the mayor replied, praising the band for spreading important messages without compromising the artistic side.

"When you're not at a desk, it's easier to tell the truth," Mamdani said. He noted that artists hold a unique privilege to speak out, and that their music connects fans to home. Bad Bunny himself said last year that listening to Chuwi while living in Los Angeles before DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS made him homesick.

Why can this mayor do what others could not?

Willy put the question directly: "Why is it you can do these policies that other mayors couldn't?"

"When you get elected you get disconnected," Mamdani answered. He described an environment of tinted SUVs and private hotel rooms, and listed things he does "intentionally" to stay connected, such as biking around the city. "Institutions change slower than people," he said, warning that too much patience can lead to complacency. "The more you stay with the people the more you stay impatient. You have to keep [them] around you."

The band raised the cynicism many citizens feel toward politicians, especially in a Puerto Rico suffering economically for nearly two decades — a crisis that predates Hurricane María's 2017 blow to the island's infrastructure. Mamdani acknowledged that skepticism, saying Puerto Ricans may doubt politicians because "they know about history." He asked, "How do you collapse that separation?" between promises and delivery, and said he believes "inspiration" is a stronger force than "disillusionment," adding that he tries to wake up every day "ready to fight" and to "use pressure in a productive way."

Asked by Willy how he handles mud-slinging and negative rhetoric, Mamdani said treating opponents harshly makes both sides feel the debate needs a winner and a loser. He stressed the importance of speaking to people who are not just "those who feel comfortable with you."

A rapper turned mayor

Mamdani then asked about Chuwi's future plans. The band said it will return to cities visited over the summer, hinting at a big headline tour. The mayor playfully reminded them of his own past as an indie rapper under the alias Mr. Cardamom. "I was the opener to the opener to the opener," he joked. "I once performed at 5 p.m. for a band that was playing at 9 p.m. I was singing to the seat savers."

He said he would be delighted to see Chuwi take their music abroad, because "through that, others will hear and see their own struggles."

Lorén thanked the mayor and noted that her grandparents were among the families who moved to New York City during the post-World War II migration wave; they married in the city, and her grandfather worked at a textile factory there. Mamdani stressed the role of Puerto Ricans in New York's history, particularly in organized labor movements.

Willy closed the meeting by thanking Mamdani for engaging with organizations on the ground in Puerto Rico. He cited their work pushing for the abolition of Puerto Rico's tax haven status, protecting the coastal maritime-terrestrial zone, and stopping large developments such as Esencia in Cabo Rojo and Moncayo in Fajardo. "Politicians [in Puerto Rico] won't meet with them unless it's in a court room or public hearings," Willy said.

Is this outside a mayor's jurisdiction?

Afterward, Chuwi told Rolling Stone they felt inspired. "Being that he's the mayor of New York, and New York has significant importance in Puerto Rico, it was super important to be able to discuss these matters with him," Wester said.

The band dismissed critics who might accuse Mamdani of overreach. "My counterargument is that we're a colony of the United States, and New York is — and has always been — extremely important in Puerto Rico. We're linked," Wester said. "The rest of the world is watching what's happening here on the island, yet our own politicians aren't addressing it. I think it's fair game."

Adrián drew a distinction with imposed outside control: "It's important to understand that this isn't like the Financial Oversight Board. Just because people from outside — rather than locals — are addressing these issues, it doesn't mean they're coming here to exert control or anything like that. It's about creating a dialogue between the two sides."

As the meeting ended, the mayor asked one last question: would Chuwi play a show in New York soon? The band assured him they would see each other again soon — a promise that suggests the dialogue between the island and the city, in music and in politics, has only begun.